Crops and Forage

He’s only 22 years old, but Canterbury farmer Luke Hurley has a wise head and a thirst for knowledge. His efforts are paying off with a big win at a recent winter feed competition. Story and photos by Annabelle Latz.

Australian crop production is expected to be hit with rainfall deficiencies starting to emerge across several agricultural regions.

Impacts of cuts to forecasted milk payments to the nation’s 12,000 dairy farms are expected to ripple across the wider economy, including the arable sector. By Victoria Rutherford.

Investment in precision agriculture and a focus on input efficiencies is showing tangible results for a South Canterbury farming family. By Victoria Rutherford.

Generating $30 billion a year and employing one in every 10 people, New Zealand’s economic fortunes rest heavily on the productivity of its pastoral sector. By Sandra Taylor.

Fodder beet is high-energy feed that can be grown for relatively low cost if the yields are good, Kerry Dwyer writes.

Annual reviews of forages and crops for sheep and cattle will mean better results. By Dr Ken Geenty.

There’s no rule book on the Taggarts’ farm in North Canterbury, and they don’t mind the debt because it keeps them pushing. Story and photos by Annabelle Latz.

With increasing costs and lower returns, the wash up of the 2022-23 season has seen a review of alternative cropping enterprises that have some synergy with sheep-dominant farming operations. By Simon Glennie.

Pastoral farmers tempted to grow cereals on their farms as a result of recent high prices are being urged to tread carefully as the market returns to a more normal demand and supply situation. By Glenys Christian.